Go Green or Go Home: Packaging with the Planet in Mind
Today’s consumers are more eco-conscious than ever. They care about the environment and want to make a difference. This can impact their own behaviors, as well as the brands they support and products they buy. According to a recent Nielsen study, 81% of global consumers believe companies should help improve the environment; 73% said they would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact; and almost half would forego a name brand in favor of a brand that is eco-friendly. And when it comes to sustainability consumers have their eye on packaging. ”Recycled packaging” is one of the top two sustainability attributes people are willing to pay more for based on Nielsen research.
So how can brands demonstrate their commitment to the environment through packaging? It comes down to the ever-popular ”green” mantra - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
Reduction of Harmful Materials: Consumers are acutely aware of the negative impact that plastic packaging can have on the environment. According to National Geographic an unbelievable 91% of plastic isn’t recycled. To address this concern, brands are finding new materials that are more eco-friendly including post-consumer recycled plastic, bio-plastics, paperboard, bamboo and more. Below we’re showcasing our favorite examples of the latest brands making a difference using sustainable materials.
Reusable Packaging: Single-use packaging leads to excessive waste that consumers are no longer comfortable with. Even if recyclable, it can still cost time, energy and resources. The Loop Store is one company trying to solve this by selling popular brands such as Pantene, Tide and Haagen-Dazs in durable packaging that is returned, cleaned and reused. Other brands like Braswell salad dressing and Argo tea use removable labels so their beautiful glass bottles can easily be reused and repurposed.
Recycling Programs: It is estimated that 94% of Americans support recycling so it makes sense for brands to get on board and show their commitment to recycling. Some companies create their own recycling loyalty programs, like Kiehls and Mac Cosmetics. Other companies, like Gerber and Barilla, have partnered with TerraCycle (a company committed to eliminating the idea of waste) to help reduce their brands’ packaging waste.
So Good So You
The sad reality of recycling is that despite our best intentions, 86% of what we toss into the blue bin ends up in the landfill. The team at So Good So You wanted to do something about this. The company’s plastic bottles have always been 100% recyclable, but they felt the need to do better. Their innovative BtrBtl looks like a traditional clear plastic bottle and is fully recyclable, but in case it ends up in the landfill it biodegrades at an accelerated rate (17x faster!) and converts into reusable energy. It doesn’t get much btr than that! Check out their video here.
Sun and Swell
With growing concerns that their single-use plastic pouches were ending up in oceans and landfills, Sun and Swell decided to make a change instead of following the status quo of snack packaging. In 2018 they became the first company to introduce compostable snack food packaging into the market, and this year they won the NEXTY award for ”Best Environmentally Responsible Packaging.” The brand loudly and proudly communicates their commitment to the planet right on the front of pack. We think it’s pretty swell!
Rebbl
Since its founding in 2011 Rebbl has been a mission-driven company committed to sustainable business practices. But their eco-unfriendly plastic bottle packaging was a pain point they had trouble solving. After years of working on their Green Packaging Initiative, they finally cracked the eco-friendly code in 2020. Rebbl became one of the first brands in the industry to launch a bottle using 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET). This change impacts 20 million bottles a year and allows consumers to enjoy high-quality products they can feel good about. Check out this rebellious brand at Rebblewithacause.
Numi
In 2020 Numi introduced their new plant-based packaging with tea wrappers that feature a thin non-GMO PLA layer made from renewable sugarcane. This bio-plastic requires less energy to produce and guarantees no eco-toxicity when it breaks down. ”Our new packaging is more eco-friendly than ever with the launch of our new, plant-based tea wrappers,” said Reem Hassani, Numi Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer in a press release. ”We still use 90 percent post-consumer waste paper cartons, soy-based inks, and biodegradable Manila hemp tea bags, as we’ve done for the past 20 years.” This new packaging is our cup of tea!
Joyous Organics
Joyous Organics wanted to do their part to help with the environmental plastic crisis by eliminating as much plastic as possible from their products. Their Delightful Deodorant sticks and Happy Healing Repair Balm both feature 100% biodegradable packaging made of paperboard instead of plastic. They admit that the tubes may not be as easy to use, but believe consumers are willing to make this change for the sake of the environment. We think consumers will be jumping with Joy.
Learn More
Going green isn’t just a fad, it’s fundamental. And packaging is one of the most tangible and visible ways brands can show their commitment to the environment. Here are some resources to help you be a catalyst for change and build brand loyalty in the process:
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition® is a membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable. The SPC has developed tools, applications, and services to help your company take meaningful action toward packaging sustainability.
The Sustainable Packaging Toolkit is a comprehensive consolidation of resources and information that makes the complicated topic of sustainable packaging digestible and actionable. Many thanks to Informa Health and Nutrition’s portfolio of New Hope Network, Natural Products Insider, Food and Beverage Insider and Vitafoods Insights for producing this resource in partnership with RCD Packaging.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a global thought leader launched to accelerate the transition to a circular economy - an economy that can work long-term, and bring economic and society-wide benefits based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
The Climate Collaborative is a fast-growing network of natural products manufacturers, retailers, brokers, distributors, suppliers and others working together to find new ways to help reverse climate change.
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